The tariffs have touched off a range of emotions along the world’s longest international border, where residents and industries are closely intertwined. Ranchers in Canada rely on American companies for farm equipment, and export cattle and hogs to U.S. meat processors. U.S. consumers enjoy thousands of gallons of Canadian maple syrup each year. Canadian dogs and cats dine on U.S.-made pet food.
The trade dispute will have far-reaching spillover effects, from price increases and paperwork backlogs to longer wait times at the U.S.-Canada border for both people and products, said Laurie Trautman, director of the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University.
“These industries on both sides are built up out of a cross-border relationship, and disruptions will play out on both sides,” Trautman said.
The Associated Press wanted to know what residents and businesses were thinking along the border that Reagan vowed would remain unburdened by an “invisible barrier of economic suspicion and fear.” Here’s what they said:
- Skagway, Alaska-Whitehorse, Yukon
- Point Roberts, Washington-Delta, British Columbia
- Billings, Montana-Alberta
- Detroit-Windsor, Ontario
- Buffalo, New York-Ontario
- Cutler, Maine-New Brunswick
I don’t know about the rest, but kids in Point Roberts have to cross the border just to go to school. There’s also pretty much no way to get groceries or anything else without them crossing the border.
Have to cross twice, each way. So 4x a day. Once into Canada and then back to the US.
They have a grocery store there. Other basic needs though, no. Not much medical care, dentists, etc.
They have a grocery store there, but those groceries get trucked in… over the border.
And I wonder how many of them voted for Trump. “It doesn’t matter until it affects me”, the Republican motto.
Every time I read an article like this I have to shake my head because they make Americans look like the dumbest people imaginable, absolutely incapable of understanding cause and effect.
